Fighting for justice

Fighting for Justice

Written by Miranda Cook

When Old Boy Bill Siganto ’11 started studying law at university, he doubted whether logging long hours in a corporate law firm was what he wanted to do.

After taking a different career path in the legal system, however, Bill has become a passionate voice for vulnerable people who fall through the gaps and get stuck in a cycle of crime.

Since 2018, Bill has worked as a criminal lawyer for Legal Aid Queensland. The organisation provides free legal information, advice and representation to financially disadvantaged people.

“I have to say it has been a really good check on my privilege,” Bill said.

“My clients are often First Nations people; people with serious underlying drug and mental health issues; victims of crime themselves; victims of domestic violence; children who are subject to guardianship orders because they’ve been abandoned by their parents.”

Legal Aid Queensland

advocates for equality and human rights by ensuring all citizens, including those who can’t afford to pay, have access to legal services.

Without a well-funded Legal Aid department, people are left to fend for themselves without any protections against miscarriages of justice.

“We are the last line of defence for these people.”

Despite being in the early stages of his career, Bill has been involved in thousands of cases, ranging from minor crimes, such as drug and property offences, to more serious matters in the District and Supreme courts, including recently acting for a person charged with murder.

He is part of a team servicing the entire state of Queensland, including in remote communities, which are home to large populations of First Nations peoples grappling with employment, housing and health disparities.

Bill believes there is so much more to his role than standing in court trying to keep his client from going to prison or advocating for a reduced sentence.

It is about helping people make better decisions by understanding why they have committed crimes in the first place.

“Every single person I represent has a compelling story of how they’ve found themselves in the difficult situation they are in.”

When asked about his most memorable case, he mentioned representing a First Nations woman who was deaf, had cerebral palsy and “probably the most disadvantaged person” he had worked with.

She was repeatedly charged with property and nuisance offences in the Townsville region.

After dedicating time to getting to know her personal situation and why she continued to reoffend, Bill realised the woman wasn’t getting access to the services she needed under her NDIS package, and she didn’t have an Auslan Interpreter or stable accommodation.

“We were able to put those supports in place for her, so hopefully moving forward she won’t have to commit low-level offences.

“It was really rewarding because she said: ‘thank you, as you are the first person who has tried to come up with a solution to my problems’.

“You are not properly representing your client unless you can stand before the court and explain what is different this time and what rehabilitation interventions are now in place,

particularly if they are someone who suffers from mental health or drug-related issues.”

Legal Aid has the resources to link people to social workers, doctors, counselling services, rehabilitation centres and much more.

While Bill’s schedule consists of long days and a lot of travel, the job never feels like hard work.

“The clients often just like to see that someone is going into bat for them, so that gives me a lot of satisfaction.”

His advice for BGS students considering law as a career: “Have an open mind — there are many fantastic opportunities beyond Eagle Street.”

“There are careers in law which provide immense job satisfaction and the opportunity to make tangible differences to people’s lives.”

Bill also supports prisoners through The Siganto Foundation — which was set up by his late grandfather — by providing much-needed funds to the charity Sisters Inside, which advocates for the human rights of women in the criminal justice system. The foundation gives generously to the arts and education sectors — just to name a few — and has donated to the BGS Bursary Fund.

Every single person I represent has a compelling story of how they’ve found themselves in the difficult situation they are in.